Bai Suxin angrily brought four tubular bones and half of a Silver Bighead Flower Carp that weighed more than 3kg home. Then, she calmed down.
Her husband and daughter were around, so while her son had not come home, she quickly instructed them. “Today is the first stage of the national college exam, but A’chao never mentioned anything about it. By the looks of it, he isn’t really confident. When he comes back later, don’t ask him anything. You’re not allowed to say anything either. Try not to speak too much and just focus on eating, understand?”
Meng Yishan and Bai Jiacao looked at each other before they nodded.
“Especially you. I don’t care that you usually don’t show respect to your brother, but don’t upset him today, got it?” Bai Suxin earnestly gave instructions to her daughter.
Bai Suxin first stuck out her tongue before she puffed out her chest. “Don’t worry, Mom. If my brother can’t get into college, you still have me. I’ll definitely become a superhuman. Then, I’ll be the one protecting this family, and I’ll protect my brother too!”
The girl then added in her heart. ‘Of course, he’ll first have to submit to me, listen to me, and let me bully him as much as I want.’
The future Dark Witch narrowed her eyes and imagined a scene in her mind. In the near future, she would get into college in a dazzling fashion and become a really powerful superhuman. Then, her big brother would cry while he slapped his thigh.
“Sis, you’re really amazing. I’ve really underestimated you in the beginning. You’ll have to take care of the family now. I’ll have to rely on you too!”
“Hehehehe.” Bai Jiacao could not help but giggle. Then, her mother flicked her head.
“Why are you giggling? Come over here and help me wash the food.”
“Oh, coming— Wow, Mom, four tubular bones? Are you trying to kill us by spending everything?”
“What are you saying? Four tubular bones won’t make us poor. Why can’t we eat them? My son and daughter are the best! If others can eat this much, we can eat like that too. Tomorrow, Dragon Bamboo Shoots and Golden Frogs will be up in the market, and I’ll buy them for you.”
“Mom, you’re the best!”
When Meng Chao returned home, he was stunned by the tasty food that filled the table.
His father, mother, and younger sister were eating with their heads bowed. They pretended as if he did not exist.
So he washed his hands as well and started eating.
He was still thinking about Great Waves Corporation. Just now, he was looking through his phone, and he saw a lot of articles about Great Waves Corporation being investigated as well as their shady deals. He could not help but gasp in amazement. He did not expect that Zuo Haoran’s family’s hands would be so dirty.
It was no wonder then why Zuo Haoran had betrayed humanity in his previous life. It was a deep influence from his family!
The Yan family was truly ruthless, though. Meng Chao had just mentioned that Great Waves Corporation was trouble, and they used such fierce methods to take care of it. It seemed like he would have to be more cautious in the future. He had to use Old Fire Relayer’s identity cautiously.
Also, they mentioned Old Fire Relayer’s disciple. Did that mean that they knew about him already?
That was fine, however. He did not have anything to hide. Quite the opposite actually. He wanted to use this identity to boldly get into contact with higher level forces of power.
However, it would not do for him to use Old Fire Relayer’s influence and take advantage of others. He had to become a superhuman as soon as possible so that he would not embarrass Old Fire Relayer!
While Meng Chao thought about it, his expression became really stern.
When Bai Jiacao saw how he acted, she squashed down her urges, but she still looked as if she wanted to say something.
Meng Yishan and Bai Suxin coughed dryly and stared at Bai Jiacao. “Shut up and eat!” they mouth quietly at her.
Bai Jiacao dragged her fingers across her mouth, miming a zipping motion. She then picked up another tubular bone, dragged her fingers across her mouth again, and unzipped her mouth. With a growl, she bit down on the meat on the tubular bone, which had both lean meat and fat on it. Her cheeks puffed out from the effort.
Once she started using a straw to suck out the bone marrow in the depths of the tubular bone and made slurping sounds, she finally attracted her big brother’s attention.
“What’s going on today? Did the military occupy another Demonic Halberd Pig’s nest? Is pork on a major discount?” Meng Chao asked.
“Even if there’s no discount for it, you still have to eat it if you have to eat it. Come, son.” Meng Yishan affectionately gave his son a huge tubular bone.
“I feel like there’s something strange. Why aren’t you saying anything? Is something off?” Meng Chao frowned.
“It’s fine. Our business has been flourishing lately. What could possibly happen? Hahahaha!” Meng Yishan laughed in a boisterous manner.
“That’s right. You just love worrying so much. Ohohohoho.” Bai Suxin covered her mouth.
“Big Brother, don’t worry. I’m around. Soon, I’ll be the pillar of the family, hehehehehe.” Bai Jiacao smiled so much that her eyes crinkled at the corners.
“You’ll be the pillar of the family? Then things will be really interesting in the house!”
Meng Chao flicked his sister’s nose and said casually, “By the way, I do have something to say. Today is the first stage of the national college exam, and I scored around eighth or ninth in school, I think. Anyway, I passed, and ten days later, I’ll be going to the regional education department for the second stage.”
His father, mother, and younger sister were all stunned.
“Big Brother, w-what did you say? You got the eighth or ninth place in class?” Bai Jiacao asked.
“You’re young, and your ears are already failing you? It’s the eighth or ninth place in school. I didn’t pay too much attention to it! It’s fine as long as I passed, right?”
Meng Chao picked up a straw and started sucking on the tubular bone leisurely. He just let the storm brew in his parents and his younger sister.
Half a minute later, Bai Jiacao jumped to her feet. “Big Brother, you passed!”
‘AAAAAHHHH! Ninth High School is a key high school! If nothing happens, those in the top ten will definitely get into college and become superhumans! Then my dream is going to be shattered, and I’ll never be able to bully my big brother!’
The future Dark Witch wept tears of joy and sadness.
Meng Yishan and Bai Suxin were both really shocked. They looked at each other for a very long time before they gradually digested this good news.
“Son, you’re fully recovered?!” Meng Yishan mumbled.
“Yeah, I told you last time that the recuperative effects from Ripple Force are really good. I also got to know Ning Shewo, and he introduced me to some gene medicine and high-density nutritional fluid. It helped me recover fully before the first stage of the national college examination.” Meng Chao smiled faintly.
“That’s not it, right?” His father and mother looked at each other. “Didn’t you say last time that you got to know a master on those unhealthy websites, which is why you were able to recover slowly?”
“… Don’t get too hung up on the details,” Meng Chao said. “The point is you should not worry. I’ll definitely be able to get into college!”
“Yeah. You’re the best, Son.”
Bai Suxin covered her mouth and took a few breaths quietly before she suddenly gave a dazzling smile. She brought out her phone and pointed it at Meng Chao. With a snap, she took his picture. Then, she pointed her phone at the table. She pressed the shutter a few times before she tapped the app of her social media and quickly put in her password.
A bad feeling rose in Meng Chao’s chest. He quickly tapped open Moments and took a look at it.
As expected, his mother had posted the pictures of him sucking the tubular bone and the table full of food on the table on social media.
There was a caption below the pictures.
[My son’s performance was average today. He only managed to get into the top ten in Ninth High School. He’ll have to continue working hard if he wants to get into Dragon City University, so I bought some good food as nourishment for him.
[I didn’t expect that tubular bones would be so expensive now. Four of them cost me one hundred and twenty! Sigh, these things will drain my pockets dry one day.]
Meng Chao wept silent tears. “Mom, please don’t. Hurry up and delete my photo. I want to preserve some dignity!”
“What are you saying? Why aren’t I allowed to boast when my son gets good results? I didn’t lie either! I didn’t say you got into the top three. I told them the truth, so why should I be afraid?”
This time, it was Bai Suxin’s turn to giggle. “You don’t understand. Just now, I ran into the plump lady in the market, and I was so angry! She was so happy when her son got into the top forty in Eleventh High School that she was going around boasting about it all over the market. While I didn’t say anything when my son got into the top ten in Ninth High School. Was I being as smug as her just now?”
Meng Chao could only ask for help from Meng Yishan. “Dad, aren’t you going to do something about this?”
“I can’t.” Meng Yishan hunched his shoulders and said softly, “Your mom spread the word about our company a long time ago. We’re just a small resource recovery company, you know, yet she made it seem as if I’m a chairman of some major corporation. Right now, I’m too embarrassed to meet our neighbors and relatives.”
“Ha! The plump lady saw it!” Bai Suxin lifted her phone smugly.
The father-son duo moved over and saw a string of comments left under her post in Moments.
Madam Zhao: A’chao is amazing! Has he recovered from his injuries?
Granny Wang: A’chao has been smart since he was young. He’ll definitely be able to get into Dragon City University.
Granny Yao: Congrats! He’ll definitely become an undergraduate student! That’s amazing!
Fourth Aunt: When are you bringing A’chao to our house? Could you ask him to give Young Yi some tips?
Li Qijie: Ah, your son is the typical boy next door… Suxin, you’re so lucky.
The plump lady was the only one who did not comment. She only left a like.
Meng Chao covered his face. He decided that he had to earn money as fast as possible so he could move out of Blessed Heavenly Garden.
He could no longer stay in the area.
Once they finished dinner, Meng Chao made another announcement.
“Tomorrow is Saturday, and I’ve already made an appointment with a famous doctor in Fengshui Medical Center so that he can take a look at Mom’s leg. Let’s go together.”
Bai Suxin and Meng Yishan were shocked.
Fengshui was a very famous private hospital in Dragon City. The doctors were all superhumans, and their skills were top-notch. Of course, their fees were all the way up there as well.
“I’m treating my legs at a government hospital, and I’m also receiving physiotherapy in the community clinic. All of those can be reimbursed, and I’m already much better than before. Why should we waste that amount of money?” Bai Suxin quickly said.
Meng Chao smiled. “Mom, government hospitals don’t provide super alloy bionic joints.”
“Super alloy bionic joints?” Meng Yishan frowned as well. “A’chao, that sounds like top-class technology. How much does it cost?”
“Money isn’t a problem. Didn’t we just sell a crystalized neurosphere recently? Elder Ning recommended this hospital to me. He said that we can get a huge discount if we ask his friend to treat us, so we won’t be spending a lot of money.”
Meng Chao was incredibly confident. The feeling of his pockets being stuffed full of money was incredibly good.
While Meng Yishan was still hesitating, Bai Suxin shook her head to refuse the offer. “We’re not going. I’ve lived my life this way for twenty years, and it’s not as if I can’t walk. At most, I’m just a bit slower, and my posture is a bit ugly. Or are you saying that you’re looking down on me for walking this way?”
Meng Chao felt his eyes sting with tears. “Mom, I know that you’re worried about money. That’s why I waited until today before I said it. The ranking for the intra-school test has come out, and it’s the only way I can prove to you that I have the ability to get into college and become a superhuman!
“Once I become a superhuman, I’ll be raking in money for the family. At that time, it’ll be nothing to me even if you want to switch all your joints to super alloy joints.”
Bai Suxin lowered her head and said, “Then wait until you truly get into college. It won’t be too late by then for me to go to a private hospital.”
“No, I can’t wait any longer,” Meng Chao said firmly. “Why do you think I am working so hard to get into college? It’s because I want all of us to live good lives. I want my beloved mother to become the most beautiful and happiest woman on the planet!
“If I can’t get your treatment plan set before my exam, I’ll be thinking about this during the test. How am I supposed to concentrate if that’s the case?”
Since he dragged the national college examination into this, his parents could do nothing about it.
Meng Yishan had been in contact with Thunderbolt, and he had heard Ning Shewo praise his son’s knowledge and skills multiple times. He knew that his son had gotten to know an amazing master online, so he thought about it seriously before he turned his head and said to his wife, “Suxin, our son has grown up.
“He can make some decisions at home and we should listen to him. If things don’t work out, I’m still around. Our company is starting off really well. If I grit my teeth and work hard, I’ll definitely be able to get the money for those super alloy joints for you.”
Bai Suxin’s lips twitched for a long time before they finally formed a smile. “Then… should we listen to our son’s advice?
Meng Yishan made the decision. “We will.”
Bai Suxin lowered her head bashfully and looked at her daughter’s straight legs. Her eyes watered, and she whispered, “True. Old Meng… it’s been so many years since we married each other, and I’ve never danced with you.”
“Mom, that’s nothing.” Meng Chao laughed. “Once we treat your legs, I’ll book a hall in the biggest and most lavish hotel in the city so that you can enjoy a candlelit dinner. You can have some time alone, and I’ll even hire a band to serve as your accompaniment. You can dance however you want to!”
“Wow…”
Bai Jiacao watched with her sparkling eyes filled with stars.
Suddenly, she found that her big brother was really domineering.
‘What?! No! It’s an illusion! It’s definitely an illusion! I refuse to admit that this demon can be domineering!’
